Title: Dangerous Liaisons/Topic: Devotion

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 10; 1 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6

Scripture: 1 Kings 11:1-6
1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech [a] the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

Observation: How could this be? How could a man who had been so devoted to God come down to such a level? Sex is a powerful force. God created it to be so, which is why he commanded that the Israelites only marry people who served Him. The New Testament also gives warning to God's people to not be unequally yoked to an unbeliever. Our closest relationships need to be reserved for others who believe as we do.

Application: We need to instruct our children to marry within the Christian faith; but that alone is not enough. We must help them to be discerning. It is vital to their own spiritual growth and development that they marry believers who are passionate about God. If they marry worldly Christians who are lukewarm spiritually, they will be in danger of becoming worldly as well. In tug-of-war games the team that stays lower to ground usually wins. It is easier to pull someone down than to lift them up. The same principle that is true in tug-of-war is true in the spiritual realm as well. To maintain victory over sin we must crucify our flesh and be filled with the Spirit. If we are intimate with people who indulge their flesh, we are likely to do so as well.

Prayer: Father, help us to disciple our children in this truth. It is the only way for our families to remain strong. And help us to be vigilant about who we hold close in friendship, business partnerships, as well as marriage. May we heed your warnings and honor you in all we do.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.